When hunters become the hunted
by michelle rachel king 1992
Summary: Patrick Jane Vs The Joker round 2  A sequel to physics and clowns.
1. Chapter 1

When hunters become the hunted.

The consultant frowned, sighing as his thoughts where interrupted by sudden shrill ringing that cut through the soundless air.

"Lisbon?" The man called across the room, refusing to open his eyes against the orange tinged lights that beamed down at him in harsh artificial rays.

"Rigsby?" Patrick Jane moaned, blindly stretching out a stubborn arm, snatching for the item that continued to wreck the thick tranquil silence the room had faded into.

"Hello?" Jane yawned through the mouth piece, squinting his sky blue eyes in preparation for another over reactive, agitated domestic call.

"Hello? CBI?" The man repeated his default greeting lifting himself heavily into a sitting position on the sofa he had peacefully laid across.

"Twinkle Twinkle little bat. How I wonder where you're at." The receiver crackled filling the mans thoughts with rhythmic tones of the uneven masculine voice. "Up above the world you fly. Like diseased ridden vermin in the sky…"

"Who is this?" Patrick stood from his place fighting against the haunting images that flickered violently in his thoughts, he paced across the wooden floorboards that echoed lightly beneath his steady footsteps.

"You didn't _really_, think you, _caugh_T me did you?" The consultant pictured the gruesome face that matched the surreal, menacing voice. "Now's not the time for you to go all quiet on me Mr. Jane.."

"Joker." The mans frown deepened, allowing a tense hand to slide stiffly through the blonde hair that framed his bewildered features.

"Good to see I'm still remembered." The eerie reply sounded as the consultant finished his single worded reply. "And there was little old me thinking cops and lawyers forget about all the big bad criminals they send away to rot in six by six cells.""How did you escape?" Patrick scanned the empty room scouring for another form of life in the criminal bureau office, stifling another yawn that fought against his breath.

"Which time?" The criminal teased, Jane could visualize the sickly smile spreading across the mans scarred scarlet lips.

"We had you." The consultant stated slowly walking further through the empty office.

"No…" An uneven chuckle buzzed through the receiver contradicting the mans feeble sentence. _"I _had _me_.. _You_ had _no one_.."

"You had men on our side." Patrick continued the weighted conversation, edgily making his way towards the sectioned off room that watched over the large vacant space.

"Mr Jane, I thought there were no such things as sides?" Patrick heard the mans bland expression change from the place he hid, the consultant sensed the same danger he had previously faced leak into the villains obscured voice. "Being a little over dramatic aren't we?"

"What do you want joker?" Jane's determined hand reached for the lone door handle, feeling the cool metal sting his warm skin.

"I don't want anything." The consultant listened as the man licked the scars that webbed from his red painted lips, a habit he had noted from their first encounter.

"This is about what **you **want." The serious voice crackled heavily, exaggerating the last letter of his sentence. "You see Patrick. I _know _you. I know _everything _about you.. Maybe even more than you know about yourself…"

"I doubt that very much." Patrick retorted cringing from the hazy scenes that played in the depths of his mind. He reflected on the criminals blood red harlequin smile contrasting with the white paint of his false face, deepened by the hollows of his ghostly black rimmed eyes.

"I know about your family…" The consultant hesitated as his wavering arm nudged the thick concealed door open. His distant eyes scanned over the abandoned desk that stood absently at the back of the airy room, he paced across the tiled floor repeating his previous expression, tainting his puckered brows with confusion.

"I know about your beautiful wife Mr Jane.. I know about your precious child, your little girl." The menacing criminal taunted, mimicking his words to the sound of the rhyme he had recited.

Jane leant against the doorframe sighing, his weak hand kept the phone pressed to his ear, he felt a dull pain thud against the back of his head signifying the ghost of his past migraine. "They where killed. He killed you're lovely family… he broke into your house, he painted a smile with their blood…"

The consultant remained silent noiselessly listening to the mans confident speech.

"Do you wonder is they felt it? If they where in pain?" The jokers edged voice sliced through the uneven stillness that flowed over the quiet man.

"Why are you calling me?" Patrick cut of the criminals eerie sentence covering the softness in his voice with his usual misted tones."Isn't it obvious?" The phone taunted, lacking trace of emotion in its shallow depths. "Look around you Mr Jane…" The joker breathed heavily, exaggerating his breath as if explaining his words to a stubborn child. "You're alone. They've all gone."

"Where are they?" Jane refocused his remote attention, gathering his current thoughts to the jagged conversation he held.

"Do you trust me?" The criminal changed the heated subject ignoring the consultants question, silence filled the line before Jane chose his reply.

"You kill innocent people." Patrick stated knowing he hadn't chosen the words the villain was waiting to hear. "You've made civilians suffer for no reason.""Do you trust me?" The distant question was repeated edgily, confirming the incorrect answer."No." Patrick retorted, cutting to the word that struck boldly at his thoughts.

"Good, because I'd _really _**hate **to draw your attention back to the last time I was asked that question…. Pop goes the weasel." An ill-humoured laugh barked through the receiver, chilling the consultant as he felt more questions rising to his curious mind. "Is this why you've called me? To let me know you have my team?""Not exactly.." The uneven voice paused lightly as if the man was in thought, considering his answer. "I called you to let you know, you have a chance to save them.""What do I have to do?" Jane frowned encouraging the mans speech with an unseen tense nod."Play my game." The consultant fought back spiteful laughter registering the three syllables that echoed in his mind.

"Your game finished a long time ago." Patrick kept his tone emotionless, addressing the man who radiated bitterness in his response. "Not this one, this one has only just started, you don't have to play but let me just point out." He paused again, the silence filled Jane's ears with the sound of his own heartbeat, he felt the faint amount of confidence that flowed through his veins fade away, falling from his form, dying in the lethal stillness. "You won't be seeing your little friends again.""What's the plan." The consultant expected the answer, obvious to the fact he had no choice but to accept his disturbed thoughts."There isn't one Mr Jane, with me there never is. You should know that by now." Jane shifted his weight nervously, his thoughts mirrored the images that floated through his mind, images from the past crumpled into the present, crashing into each other to create a jumbled collage. A work of art that represented the only thing the man he spoke to stood for, Anarchy.

"Just do as I say but not what I do.." The jokers haunting voice interrupted the consultants trailing notions, pulling them away from the distracting pictures that stalked his darkened thoughts.

"You're leaving the lives of my colleagues down to a game of Simon says?" Patrick questioned the man, finding the limits of the situation he had been trapped in for the second time in his career."No one said anything about Simon." The small object Patrick held to he ear replied maliciously.

"I want proof." Jane stated masking his disoriented feelings with the professional skills he needed, yet struggled to maintain."This is my game Mr Jane, you don't make the rules." The joker hissed making his authority clear to the man that challenged him, testing his competitions flustering confidence."I thought you had no rules.." Jane replied once again falling into the past. The tainted memories of the jester mimicking criminal who stated his beliefs as he sat opposite him in a cool metallic interrogation room. He had no rules, he lived to brake them and crushed the people that dared stand by them. "You can't bargain lives with your methods of trying to poke around in my mind Patrick…" Joker sighed, almost bored of their discussion. "…_people could __**die**_.""How do I know you have them." Patrick worked his way around the off balance sentence, scouring the holes in the dialogue, searching for clues, determined to find a way to reveal the villains weak vulnerabilities."Either you could believe me or I could send you proof." The joker offered, lightening his speech with false, patronising tones pouring into his words. "A chain perhaps, maybe a security pass.. A _**finger**_?""Leave them alone," Patrick hissed feeling anger seething into his pacing pulse, drowning the regret of asking his previous question. "I'll play your game.""There's a good sport." The man cheered underlying his laugh with the persistent threat to his colleagues lives. "I don't really want to hurt the lovely Grace Van pelt... And I know you have a soft spot for the beautiful Teresa Lisbon."

"Leave them out of this." Jane hissed dropping his tranquil cover, he had worked with the CBI for the best part of four years, this was the only person who managed to get through his thickened skin. Jane never considered him a person, maybe when he first saw him but now, he knew the joker was a monster, past any ways of redemption. "That's gonna be pretty hard to do when they're here with me." The criminal mocked, once again forcing his words into a rhythmic pattern.

"How can I trust you?" Jane stated echoing the mans previous question laced with doubt. "You'll just have to try your best." The joker replied, Patrick imagined the deep hazel eyes that penetrated through the small phone, observing the mans weak struggle. "Have some faith…." He paused mimicking the speech of a teacher trying to encourage a child to work, or the voice of a person trying to encourage someone to jump from a plane without wearing a parachute. "**But **before we go around in that never ending circle of me telling you that you have to follow my rules or one of your colleagues will die, I need to tell you… if I have to tell you _again _it'll only get me in a **bad **_**mood**_."

"Sure." Patrick bluntly replied, blocking the humour that had edged the darkened mans sentence.

"I want the police involved. You should call Good old Jimmy Gordon." The consultant listened to the instructions that where stated seriously through the phone, the criminals voice had fallen deeply to a sinister tone, one that would stay in his victims memories if they ever survived long enough to hear his serious words. "I know bats still isn't around but this could still work. It might even get him back, him knowing his favourite villain is making a mockery of his beloved little pets."

"You want the police involved?" Jane repeated running a tense hand over the frown that etched over his forehead, squinting his eyes against the sharp pains that stabbed through him announcing the return of his head ache. "Normally people don.."

"Don't interrupt me Mr Jane." The criminal intervened through the consultants speech letting the pause that followed linger in the heavy air, Patrick could feel the tension weigh against him, smothering him with its thick claustrophobic atmosphere. "Don't question me."

"Okay.." Jane shifted his weight again, casting a regretful glance across the empty office floor. "Anything else?""I want papers, publicity, I want everyone to know I'm back." The consultant observed as the mans speech grew deeper. "I want them to know I never left."

"So you do have a plan.." Patrick replied acknowledging the distinct pause that flat lined his sentence.

"What do you mean by that?" Jane listened to the quizzical tones raise lightly.

"You want fear." Patrick stated refusing to change the blunt pitch of his own voice to the accusing question. "You want everyone to run from you, I wonder why that is, perhaps in one point of your life you where the one that ran…" Jane's theory built in the mystified silence, towering with the facts and conclusions, he had found relating to the villain. "Don't forget I know you too Jack."

"I warned you." The jokers hollow response cut off the mans confident sentence. "Do not think you can manipulate me Jane, like I said people will most likely die.." He breathed heavily. "Don't' try that again."

"Sure thing boss." Patrick answered humourlessly. "So who do you want first? The innocent citizens or the hardened hand of the law?""Choice is yours Patrick, feel free with what you want to do." The criminal instructed. "Baring in mind, I want this thing wrapped up nice and neatly by, lets say, midnight.""That only gives me two hours…" Jane frowned, letting his eyes over to the wall opposite him, adjusting to the pale white clock that blandly ticked past the dragging seconds.

"Well if your just gonna stand there your times gonna run out sooner than you think.." Jane turned his head backing away from the wall he stubbornly leant against. "Oh, and just to let you know, if I don't see my name on the bright screen of my TV and hear waves of fear from my radio speakers one of your friends will die."

The man walked hastily through the empty office, his panicked steps echoed angrily from the bare wooden boards beneath him. "And guess what?" The villains voice heightened another pitch, the consultant frowned listening to the small pause that broke through his sentence giving him enough time to guess what the next words would be. "You'll be the one choosing that too."

"Where are you?" Jane turned his head again repeating, the movement as his mind echoed the mans eerie sentence, he knew he was leaning against the wall, he could see him. Patrick scoured the abandoned room noticing his question hadn't gained a reply. "Joker?"

"You better get a move on Jane, times ticking."

"Joker?" Patrick lifted from the phone from his ear as he heard the dead line buzz through the night.

"Next." A young male voice greeted the consultant who paced across the tired floor boards, pounding his impatient feet against the feeble wood.

"Is this next victim?" Patrick questioned the male tones that had addressed him.

"Woah, we've got a confused one here listeners." The host laughed heavily letting his voice bark through the speakers that buzzed lively, sitting on the desk the consultant paced past. "Yes this is next victim with Alex Banter, normally I ask you who you are but this is different…""Do you know who the joker is?" Patrick interrupted the light hearted speech killing the cheerful atmosphere that poured through the office carried by the grave radio waves.

"Of course I do, doesn't every one?" Banter laughed stiffly. "He was taken away by police, luckily he left the city and is locked away, hopefully in some mental asylum that has no windows and serves hospital food.""Well the thing is kid. He's not so caught after all." Jane sighed picturing the persistent demonic grin that would be spreading across the criminals grotesque face, creasing his sinister features as he listened to the hectic response that followed the consultants sentence.

"Not funny dude, seriously not funny." Alex's tense voice crackled over the radio station letting his listeners hear the fear he attempted to unconvincingly cover.

"He's out. He's here. He wants everyone to know." Jane replied. "I'm Patrick Jane, I work for the CBI.""This is a sick joke Patrick." Banters voice carried insecurity as it reached the mans intent ears.

"This is no joke. Spread the news. Do it or people _**will**_ die." Jane slammed the phone down ending the call as he walked to the next desk picking up the lone identical item that summoned him with familiar silence breaking rings.

"Nicely done Patrick. I think we'll get along pretty well, that is, if we put our differences behind us." The familiar pitched voice taunted the consultant who soundlessly greeted him.

"I think in a past life we where best friends, maybe even brothers." Jane flinched back at the bitter laugh that deafeningly cackled through the faint phone line.

"Nice touch by the way, calling next victim, good to know you haven' lost your sense of humour in this."

"What else do you want?" Patrick sighed breaking his tormentors speech.

"I told you, I want the police, you got the press, get me Gordon. Oh.." The man paused lightly. "Lisbon keeps pain killers in her desk, for your head ache."

The consultants retaliation was silenced with the cold lifeless phone line.

"Hello? I've been on hold for over twenty minutes.." Patrick tensely watched the clock that stood above him, teasing him with the seconds that had grown faster, in his mind he counted with the clock only being able to note half seconds before the next was ticked away. The speeding minute hand pointed to the mans nearing deadline, he only had thirty minutes left.

"Sir this is a busy station, why don't you try your local branch?" The consultant was answered with the same emotionless voice that had put him on hold.

"I was told to call this one." Jane paused trying to think of words that made sense in his frantic mind. "Can I please talk to commissioner Gordon?""May I ask you told you to call us?" The womans stubborn tone refused to back down against the mans hesitant words.

"The joker." Patrick's broken voice wavered, his sky blue eyes hovered over the tormenting minute hand that ticked by another line, symbolizing his dying time. "I need to talk to Jim Gordon.""The joker was taken away." The woman insisted, her solid voice stayed in the same tone although her sentence was uncertain."He escaped and is holding my CBI team hostage." Jane sighed feeling his heart thump solidly in his tightened chest. "If I don't let Gordon know he's back he _**will **_kill them."

"Hold on, I'll patch you through." The woman stated ending their conversation with the dialling of another line.

"Commissioner Gordon?" Patrick was addressed with another voice, one he knew.

"Jim, it's Patrick Jane.." The consultant hurried his speech before the other man interrupted his stuttered dialogue.

"Nice to hear from you Patrick, but, why are you calling here?" Commissioner Gordon replied showing his bewildered response. "Heidi tried to tell me something about the Joker?""He's back Gordon." Jane stated confirming the mans sentence.

"The joker?" Patrick nodded his head agitatedly sighing at the dragged out the speed the conversation was moving at. "Yes, that very one, he's got my team Jim, he's going to kill them if he doesn't get what he wants.""What does he want?" The commissioner mirrored the mans answer, twisting his words into a question.

"Right now he wants everyone to know he's back. He said he never left." Jane's frantic eyes scanned over the clock that towered over him. "He also said he wanted you to know. If he doesn't know I've told you he will do something to them." "When's our deadline?" Gordon retorted, the consultant could picture the tired man glancing up to the digital clock that was placed at the edge of his tall, dark oak desk with wavering dark brown eyes.

"Midnight." Jane stated predicting the tension that came from the phone line.

"Do you have any idea where he might be?" The man questioned tightly phrasing his words.

"He's near the office, he can see me, he's probably watching now." Patrick replied sparing another ineffective glance around his abandoned surroundings. "Either that or he's bugged the office."

"I'll be at your office, I can't guarantee a time but I'll be there. Try distract him, I'll take a chopper." Gordon's words symbolised the end of their heated conversation.

"Joker." Jane held the phone tightly to his ear as he answered the call.

"Patrick.." The consultant could hear the gruesome smile that played across the villains twisted features. "How's the head ache?""Fine." Patrick stated cutting to his next response. "I've called Jim.""There you go, wasn't so bad after all was it?" The Joker mocked lightly, danger spiked his humoured voice darkly, oozing into the conversation.

"He'll be at the offices as soon as he can get here." Jane reported feeling tension battling inside his frantic mind.

"Excellent, well now all we could do is wait I suppose.." Patrick listened to the taunting silence that filled their speech before the criminals voice returned solidly. "How about we talk until he turns up?""Sure." Jane stated, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Well.. You know enough about me. How about we talk about the life and times of Mr. Jane." Patrick observed the serious tone that addressed him.

"Let's see, I'll tell you what I know and you can fill in the gaps…" Jane listened to the uneven voice that humourlessly noted his past.

"You grew up with your father, at a circus, how nice… and you think we don't have much in common.." The consultant opened his mouth to retort until the sinister explanation returned. "You left the circus because you where fed up of conning innocent people out of their money and lives. But," The man clicked his tongue theatrically. "What's slipped my mind is what happened to you father? Is he still there?" The man paused rhetorically jumping back into his dialect. "Anyway.. You left and found a television show that preyed on vulnerable minds, ironic, not so far of from your previous choice of career.. You taunted a mass murderer on live television which made him in return kill your family, since then you've admitted your talents are just good observation and plan on helping the Californian, criminal bureau of investigation for the foreseeable future. What a difference…""You know a lot about me." Jane interrupted agreeing with each fact that was listed. "Did you pull up my folder? Do some search engine research?""I have my resources.." The criminal paused. "Really, I was just repaying a favour… After all, you took out so much time researching me and tracking me down. I didn't want you to feel left out.""How about we talk about you?" Patrick replied leaning against the small desk that stood behind him, glaring at the clock that ticked away the passing seconds, it had been twenty minutes since his discussion with the commissioner had ended, which gave him another ten to distract the criminal.

"I don't think that's a good idea.." The joker replied slashing his time saving idea. "You know everything about _**me**_, compared to you my life is.. _**Boring**_." The man sighed regrettable, tainting his spiteful words with sarcasm. "The only thing is.. _**You **_haven't filled out the _gaps_."

"What gaps?" Jane frowned, thickening the unwanted conversation.

"The gaps in your career you didn't report. The feelings you hide behind, the reasons for you rash decisions…. Looking at your history, you don't seem like a man with a plan either, although, you don't strike me as much of a dog chasing cars." The criminal stated, dulling his voice into a harsh whisper. "Lets talk about the downs..""I don't think that's a good idea.." Jane echoed the mans previous words, tensely rolling the meaningful gold band around his finger.

"It's my rules." The joker repeated in the emotionless silence. "Why did you quit the fairground? You where earning quite a bit of money.."

"It wasn't ethical. Money isn't the only way of life." Patrick replied, refusing to fall under the building pressure that laid against him.

"You continued to fool innocent people in your program, didn't you find that _**immoral**_?" The villain continued his interrogation forcing the consultant to reply.

"I was helping them. It was either me, someone who tried to help lonely people grieve in peace or some, a hundred bucks an hour fraud who laughed behind their backs." Jane replied feeling the same unease he had previously felt flood through his veins more than four years ago.

"And red John?" The consultant cringed back at the painful memories that stung his eyes, blurring his distant vision. "You got a little too big for your boots didn't you?""I didn't think he would care.." Jane replied watching the artificial lights bounce off the wedding band that wrapped around his finger.

"But he did.. He _**really **_did…" The criminal paused, reflecting sensitively. "Any one would think the way he reacted shows that he has _**feelings**_…"

"Anyone would think you've got feelings…" The consultant retorted, expressing disgust in his voice as his remark was registered with a low rumble of broken laughter.

"It looks like I've hit a _**nerve**_.." The joker replied lightly exaggerating the words into a drawn out sentence. "Tell me Patrick.. Why do you still wear that ring?.."Jane frowned noticing the paleness of his clenched knuckles contrasting with the angelic glimmer of his golden wedding band.

"I'm married.." Patrick hissed resealing the tension that closed his tightened hand, watching the colour run through his taunt skin. "That's the normal, usual reason people wear wedding rings, funny really."

"To a ghost.." The consultant observed the whispered sentence, he shifted his weight uneasily, glaring at the pale white wall that structured the box like office.

"You should let go of the past Mr. Jane.. It's not healthy…" The villain mused as if intending his speech to only be meant for himself.

"What's not healthy is killing innocent people.." Jane retorted preparing for the speech that would interrupt his words.

"No one is as innocent as you would think." The consultant frowned as he noted the mans softer tones. "Why would you say that?"

"You're the one with all the detective buddies.. This time you need to figure it out by yourself.." The criminal breathed heavily continuing his reply. "Let yourself go a little Patrick, all your life needs is a little bit of Anarchy…" Patrick flinched back from the last word, his thoughts plummeted back through the past until they fabricated back to the cool metallic interrogation room.

"How did you feel?" Jane's bewildered expression deepened as he was addressed with another question. "About what?"

"How did you feel when you found them?" The consultant sighed quietly watching as another second was ticked away followed by another before he answered.

"I felt like every man would have felt.."

"_**Like?…" **_The joker pressed his question knowing the other mans weakness.

"Like my world was over.. Like I had to find him.." Jane replied in the eerie silence that intently listened to his words.

"What changed your mind? What made you feel like _**you **_had to become the _**hero**_?" Patrick studied the inquiry going through each word in his mind. "I'm not a hero..""A lot of people would disagree.." The voice that buzzed through his ear replied.

"I'm not a hero.. I help people grieve. I give them the justice I didn't get.." Jane replied forcing his voice to speak with the weakened answer his mind announced.

"Don't you want to hurt him anymore?" Patrick's glare faded from the lone wall, drifting across the empty office, he blinked forcefully, pulling himself away from the tragic memories that tainted his life.

A young girl had stood in front of him in the garden, his garden. Honey coloured sun rays poured over the bright green grass, contrasting with the scarlet roses that dotted the emerald sea.

A smile played across the girls peaceful features as she showed him the picture she had drawn. Patrick knelt until he levelled his height with the young girls, her sky blue eyes hovered over him gleefully watching as he mused over the messily drawn picture.

A smile creased his cheeks, spreading light hearted dimples to his happy eyes as he read the child's scrawled writing. "Mummy.." The girl paused pointing at the first figure she had drawn, the image mimicked one of a classic child drawing, a stick person with straw like hair that flowed until it reached a triangle shaped skirt. "Daddy.." Her delicate hand drifted over the paper until it reached the last picture in the line, a tall figure stood with a stick thin body topped with locks of thick yellow curls, the man held a object in his hand, Patrick frowned gently asking the young girl what the picture was. "A wand silly!" Her voice rang out like a light chiming bell. "You're a magician!"

The man laughed as he studied the girls expression, he lowered his eyes back to the picture he held, gesturing to the small stick figured child. "Who's this?" His smile grew as he noted the girls shocked expression. "Me!" She giggled as the man raised his eyebrows. "You?"

"Yeah!" The child laughed pointing at the short figure that stood between the drawings labelled after Patrick and his wife, her light hand traced the red line that symbolised the smile on her portraits face.

A bright red line, a picture that haunted him, a memory that followed him.

Jane closed his eyes finding himself in the darkened room of his empty house, he knelt on the ground daring himself to look above him, forcing himself to see the consequences he had earned.

A blood red smile loomed over him, watching him as he studied the saddened face, a crystallised tear ran from his ice cold eyes.

"Well?" Jane's attention snapped back into the present as he blinked away the saddened memories.

"I'll make him suffer in different ways.. I don't have to hurt him physically."

"Do you _**really **_think I'm going to buy that?" The joker replied, toying with the mans words. "I bet when you find him, you'll tear him limb from limb and enjoy watching his pain…."

"We're different." Jane stated emotionlessly, his bland gaze traced over his surroundings "I'm not you.."

"No.. you're not." The criminal clicked his tongue. "I know where to stop. I'm in _**control**_.." The consultant stood in silence feeling his pulse calm from the memory he had relived. "It looks like we have company.." Jane glanced from the towering window that formed over the offices wall, his sky blue eyes observed the beam of light that flew past the roof of the building.

"What are you waiting for Jane? Go say hi to Jimmy… tell him I send my _**regards**_.."

Patrick placed the small phone back onto his desk, lifting his tired weight from the wooden surface.


	2. Chapter 2

Jane lifted a tired hand, protecting his eyes from the harsh air that battered his determined frame. The frantic helicopters spiralling blades slashed above him, slicing through the darkened sky.

The consultant paced through the strengthened false current, trudging towards the silhouette that violently hacked at the peaceful night, radiating the atmosphere with malice.

Patrick's squinted gaze hovered over the darkened helicopters shape, lingering on the ink black surface that shone in the cool moonlight that flooded over its glistening outline. He moved forward towards the small metal door as it mechanically clicked open.

"JIM!" The consultant raised his voice, contesting with the metallic cluttering that hung heavily above the lone man that climbed from the stabilized vehicle. The lieutenant frowned against the noise, waving a tense hand to the pilot that obediently cut off the rattling engine.

"Patrick.." The man turned back to face the lone consultant, raising a hand to clasp the one that was held before him. "Good to see you again.."

"A better reason would have been preferred." Jane nodded acknowledging his greeting, he let his hand fall to his side as the lieutenant fell with his paced footsteps. "A private chopper? You must've gotten a good pay rise.." Patrick's concealed sky blue eyes remained on the silent helicopter, standing idly in the centre of the buildings crowded roof.

"It's not mine" Gordon laughed running a rough hand through the short brown hair that messily cropped his features, matching the hidden murky brown eyes that noted the consultants scarcely lit expression. "A last minute hire, he has to return it." He stretched out a hand gesturing in the darkness, "Can we talk inside?"

"Sure.." Patrick stepped away from the man, returning to the heavy door he had used to escape the deafening silence that smothered the abandoned structures interior.

The consultant held the solid door open for the lieutenant that signalled through the gloom to the lone helicopter. Patrick listened as the frantic blades violently jerked back to life carving the night air.

"There's only a couple minutes to the dead line." Jane stated as he lead his company to the office he had previously, nervously paced through. "He'll call us, make sure you're here, but I know he can see us, he's somewhere within sight range of the CBI office."

"Do you know the perimeter?" Gordon frowned observing as expressions faded across the mans features, finally portraying the usual neutral mask that covered his veiled emotions. "We're not going in with some half baked police scheme Jim." Patrick's tense gaze met the lieutenants questioning glare. "These are my friends. I'm not going to sign their death warrants.""I wasn't planning anything." Gordon reasoned as his pupils adjusted to the violent artificial light that bathed over him.

Jane broke away from the tense glare his eyes had trapped the lieutenant with, his sky blue irises flew to the small object that buzzed to life, ringing monotonously through the heavy air.

"Jane.." Patrick addressed the anonymous caller already knowing who had interrupted them.

"Patrick.." The consultant listened to the uneven drawl ooze through the receiver, "You've been a good little helper… It reminds of me of when I was younger…""Why's that?" Patrick frowned gazing from the statuesque window that towered at his side, he squinted his eyes fighting against the glare of the false lights that hung above his head. His own reflection stood, glaring back at him through tired eyes.

"Santa and his helpers, elves, _small _people, small _minded_…" The criminals humoured explanation trailed through the dead air that settled onto the consultants weighted shoulders.

"I've done what you asked." Patrick retorted, sparing a fleeting glance to the silent lieutenant that leant restlessly against the solid oak desk that stubbornly supported his slouched form.

"You think I'm going to let you go _now_? This has only just started getting _interesting_.." The villains eerie voice crackled, continuing his drawn response. "Put me on loud speaker.."

Jane lifted the phone from his ear pressing the brightly lit button, his calm gaze met Gordon's eyes as he placed the item on the wooden desks surface, by the perched mans side.

"Good evening Lieutenant.." The criminals voice clipped off the end of his sentence, pronouncing the word with menace lacing his voice.

"Joker.." Gordon answered the chilled greeting, weakly masking the tension in his speech. "Why are…"

"Now's not the time for your twenty one million questions Jimmy boy.." The officer blinked away from the interruption, listening to the eerier voice continue it's intervention. "They're pointless…" The pitchy tones barked through the phone line, "Let me, ask _my questions_…"

"Go ahead." Patrick leant towards the lone phone before the lieutenant could answer, his weary blue eyes determinedly fixed with Gordon's, he nodded his head in encouragement.

"The first question goes to Mr, James, Gordon.." The criminals voice strengthened as he mimicked the voice of a game show host, testing his audience. "How much do you value the lives of these fine young CBI agents lieutenant?"

The older mans eyebrows knitted together, creasing his wizened features beyond his years, he paused, hesitating before replying. "There are very important to this city."

"To this city? Don't they _matter _in Gotham?… after all they did make a _pretty _good _attempt _on catching me… it was _your _men who let the team _down._"Gordon flinched away from the truthful words that bit at him through the phone line, he sent a fleeting glance to the quiet consultant who studied the tense exchange.

"Of course they matter to Gotham." Jim stated returning his attention to the phone.

"Do they matter more than your police force?" The villains persistent question filled the noiseless air that flowed the room. "They cover a different area.. I can't judge that.." Gordon raised his knitted eyebrows, forcing the aging creases further across his stressed expression.

"Do they matter more than _you_?" The jokers pitch heightened quizzically as if he was watching the mans response from his place of hidden observation."What do you mean?" The lieutenants breath deepened with his answer. "Do you value yourself more than you value the _entire _CBI team?""I wouldn't put my life above them." Gordon nodded to himself as he answered ignoring the impatience that has risen in the man that stood by his side."Would you like me to test your limits?" The older man frowned, shifting his gaze to the towering window that showcased his reaction through the translucent glass. "What do you mean?""What if I told you, you have a choice to make…" The criminals tongue invisibly clicked off the torturous words, "You can only pick one option, it's multiple choice… I'll even make it simple for you and have a yes or no answer only..""What do you want?" Gordon interrupted the man, making him cut to a lone syllable answer."You." The jokers voice curled, writhing around the single word, his breath trailed in the silence his answer had brought, mimicking the actions of a snake after it had struck his unknown prey."What?" Jim exhaled, a bewildering expression confused his features as he fought to understand the simple response he had asked for."You." The villain echoed his previous answer explaining the single word, his voice shook through the still air that smothered the two men who listened to his unplanned speech. "Lieutenant Jim Gordon can trade yourself for the _whole _CBI team.. That's _four _people… it seems like a good trade to me… Mr Jane probably agrees.."Gordon lifted his tense brown eyes from where they had fixed on the small black phone "You want my life instead of theirs…" His begrudging gaze hovered momentarily over the quiet consultant. "There's no need to word it like that Jimmy…" The murderous villain patronised the uneased man. "I don't want to kill you.. I think you could _help _me.."

"Why me?""I think.." The uneven mans pitched tones paused, drawing out his sentence. "You've asked enough _questions_.. Like I said.. It's a yes or no answer… Will you trade yourself for them?""Yes…" Gordon weakly backed down from the opposition that pressed against the unbalanced argument that rose above him."Good. I'm glade to see Gotham still has some kind of hero." The familiar daunting voice haunted him through the crackling phone line. "You should be proud.""What if I went instead of him?" Gordon turned to the man who broke his patient silence."Now now Patrick, I know you class me as some kind of _descent _human but you've helped me enough already.." Jane's sky blue gaze caught the deep brown irises that studied him. "You bought me Gordon.. A deal is a deal and one has already been made."The lieutenant nodded distantly as the consultants apologetic eyes hovered over him.

"Meet me outside in the parking lot in ten minutes. Alone." The criminal paused, the two men could hear his tongue slide across the scarlet paint that slathered his scared lips before the call died.

"You'll get your team back, when you get them, find me." Jim spared a final glance to the man who paced the creaking floor boards.

"I'm coming too."

"You can't." Gordon stated as the man froze, slowly turning back to him. "Who's to say we will actually get them back? What if he takes you and doesn't release them?" Patrick frowned walking closer to the lieutenant that stood by the heavy, metal lift doors.

"He said I will be replacing them..." The man faced him, his determined voice floated through the heavy air.

"No.." Jane interrupted Gordon who impatiently sighed, pressing the small silver button that pointed to the underground car park. "He said trade…"

"That's the same thing." Jim stated as he watched the small red digital display click down each floor it past.

"Things aren't ever so _simple _with him." The consultant gained the lieutenants attention. "He doesn't plan. He doesn't scheme." Jane continued his explanation, his eyes caught site of the red flashing display that ticked off each floor the climbing lift past. "He's an agent of Chaos.. He supports anarchy and ruins order… why would he plan the release of valuable people when he can cause more Chaos by keeping them?""What would you do if something happens down there?" Gordon stepped forward as the sliding metal doors eased open, greeting him with the four windowless walls of the lifts imprisonment. "You don't even have a weapon.""I'll be there to assess the situation. Then I can see what I'm dealing with."

The consultant followed the weary lieutenant as he stepped into the lift.

"Stay back here." Gordon cautioned the man who walked from the lifted, wearily studying their surroundings.

"Sure." Patrick breathed edging away from the metal doors that slide shut in the fallen silence. He watched the lone lieutenant ease through the dull car park.

"Anyone there?" Gordon raised his voice, his words repeated back to him in the darkness, stalking him in the shadows before his was greeted with a response.

"Are you alone?" The familiar pitched voice echoed in the dingy artificial lights as he registered the quizzical words.

"Yes.." Gordon waited before answering the question, casting a feeble glance at the darkened shadows.

"Step forward."

Jim frowned easing a foot before him, he flinched back raising a weak hand to protect his hesitant pupils against the bright light that buzzed to life, flickering above his head.

Patrick watched the lone man as artificial light poured over his unmoving form, he frowned mentally counting the dragging seconds that passed him.

One thousand.

Two thousand.

Three thousand.

The consultant's heavy expression deepened as he observed the still darkness that surrounded him.

"Hello?" Gordon called from his place, beckoning to the darkened shadows hoping the criminal they concealed would walk from them.

Jane eased forward, tensing as he heard the almost inaudible shuffling behind him, he froze, calming his breath in silent exhales.

"Hello?" Gordon turned back to face the lift, he squinted his eyes in the harsh artificial glare that blinded him from looking into the concealed distance.

Patrick eased forward trying to make himself visible to the lieutenant that scoured the area for him.

"Don't even think about it…" Jane cringed away from the breath that ran over the cool skin of his neck, his heart thumped solidly as he felt a freezing muzzle push against his exposed flesh.

"Jane?" Gordon stepped further away from the sightless light that beamed down on him. "You there?"

"J…!" Patrick fell limply into the villains grasp, inhaling from the thick, drugged material that smothered him.


	3. Chapter 3

Patrick winced away from the pain that shot through his neck, he shook his head groggily blinking against the pitch black darkness that smothered his vision. The consultant coughed heavily tugging his arms, he hissed feeling thickened ropes pulling against the bare skin of his wrists.

"Joker?" Jane's voice scratched against his raw throat, he swallowed dryly, straining his ears in the deafening silence. The mans lone word was received with an uneven chuckle, echoing from the walls in menacing waves.

Patrick remained silent until the last trickles of false laughter faded from his surroundings, paced footsteps heavily sounded taunting the man that tensed against the bounds that tied him down. He kicked out a foot only for his motion to count as nothing, he felt another rope writhe tightly around his legs.

"I couldn't let you stay with him…" Jane tilted his head away from the breath that poured over his neck, his gesture sent another stab of pain shooting through his flesh, the veiled criminal laughed mockingly at his pain grabbing the mans shoulder with a purple, leather clad hand.

"I couldn't have you _probing _his unconscious mind… You would ruin my game.."

"Where's my team?" Jane questioned from his blinded state, he could hear a sickening smile twist his tormentors scared lips.

"They're all here…" Jane frowned at the villains response, noiseless breaths past him before he replied, "Is there any need for the blind fold?""I would have thought you might prefer to wear it.. After all if little Jimmy messes up, you're not gonna wanna see what'll _happen_."

The consultant leant away from the mans awkward hold, pulling at his bound wrists. "And the rope?"

"I couldn't let you run from me.." The obscured mans remark humourlessly played through Jane's mind.

"Let me see them."

"That's good. You're showing confidence… _Although_.." Patrick heard the criminals tongue slide across his veiled blood red lips. "I don't think over confidence is going to get you very _far_."

Jane winced away from the rough hand that snatched at the cloth that covered his eyes, he blinked away the haze that coated his lethargic eyes, allowing his pupils time to adjust to the dimly lit room he had been placed in.

The consultant noted the wooden beams that unstably knitted together hanging from the high ceiling, his gaze travelled over the uneven concrete floor observing the shallow puddles that silently rippled beneath his feet.

His scouring blue eyes travelled through the distance, he followed the faint outlines that lurked in the shadows.

"LISBON!" Patrick jerked from the chair that creaked against the floor protesting under his determined movement.

"Easy…" Jane hissed as the joker laughed, gripping the edge of his chair. "They're all fine… Just a little groggy…"

"Jane?…" The consultants determined eyes shot back to the fragile female voice that echoed across the murky room.

"Teresa it's me, I'm here too I…."

"This is _truly _heart breaking.. Really it is _but _I'm gonna have to interrupt you for just a _moment_." Patrick's tense gaze followed the shadowy figure that walked away from him, his eyes traced the long purple jacket that trailed behind the man.

"No…" Jane tensed as he heard the weak, lifeless response follow the criminals actions as he gagged the officer.

"Now let's get down to business." The criminal carelessly turned from the bound woman eagerly walking back to the consultant.

"Where's Gordon?" Patrick fought against the nerves that tinged his wavering thoughts.

"That's what I was going to explain, there's no need to be so, impatient.." Jane observed the silhouetted figure lean before him in the darkness, his nostrils stung from the odour of faded gasoline that poured from the mans worn attire.

"Let's get some light in here…" A leather clad hand reached into the long draping jacket that flowed from the villains lean frame.

Jane flinched back from the small light that shone at his sky blue eyes, blinding him as it slowly traced his dull settings. The consultants hesitant eyes caught sight of the blood red smile that taunted him in the darkness.

His bewildered mind hazily flew through childhood stories, stories that made his heart ache from the memories of a beautiful young girl, terrified of the monsters that lurked in her cupboard. A Cheshire cat grinned at him, wickedly haunting him the empty night air. Scars painted with smothering blood red falsely smiled at him from where they levelled with his own lips.

Patrick blinked as his weakened pupils adjusted to the new light source, he studied the ghostly white face that familiarly surrounded the sly grin. Jane's silent gaze hovered over the menacing black rings that sectioned off the mans hidden eyes, deep hazel irises observed the consultant with concealed amusement. Wavy green tinged hair fell messily around the mans structured face, revealing light brown roots that faded away from the contrasting colour.

"Good to see you Patrick." Jane watched the scars that webbed the mans cheeks move with his spoken words.

"It's Mr Jane.." The consultant retorted, "Unless you have a first name I can call you.""I have a first name, I had a first name." Joker leant forward. "But he died, you of all people know that.""Yeah.. Jack Napier died a while ago _right_?" Patrick tensed reading the emotions that flooded into the criminals masked features.

"Careful what you say Patrick." The villains tongue clicked after his taunt response, aiming the torch into the looming shadows. "I have men everywhere." The beam bounced of the tall masculine figures that lined the back wall of the wide room. "I have a _lot _of things to do today, I might not be able to control them if they have any violent… _urges _against your _team_."The consultant fell into silence, feeling guilt spike his mind, regret filled his thoughts weakening his feeble attempts of getting ahead in the tense situation.

"Like I said before, I know your mind games, the good news is.." The joker smiled, the sickly expression made Patrick cringe against his bounds. "I play them too…" Jane nodded to himself, refusing to break his silence in the threat of a friend dying.

"As for your question. Gordon isn't with us anymore.."

Jane's frantic eyes flew quizzically to the man who chuckled deeply, unevenly answering his glare. "It was a joke, a play on _words_.. He's _alive _and well.. to be honest not so good." The consultant followed the mans eerie black framed stare to the lit window that shone above them, making the consultant aware of where he had been taken.

"The abandoned warehouse…" Jane breathed watching as the lone lieutenant hurriedly rushed past the towering window, a phone held tightly to his ear.

"That's what makes this so great.. He's up there.. Only one _jump _away from us…"

The criminal paused, "I am slightly _unsettled_.. For his _safety_.." Patrick glanced back to the man who studied Gordon as he spoke frantically to the small phone. "I could be pushing him to his _limit_.. He's looking a little… _pasty_..""Why are you doing this?" Jane asked, absently concentrating on the officer that determinedly spoke to the stubborn staff that took his call, frown lines creased his uneased features spreading wrinkles over his drawn expression, Patrick's strained sight read the shapes the mans lips faded through, he mimicked the words repeating them back to himself in the withdrawing silence the criminal had taken before answering.

"Gordon is going to help me get a little, reunion.." The mans hazel gaze fell over the consultant who spared a fleeting glance to the window, he returned his gaze to the man noting the absence of the lieutenant from the abandoned frame.

"A reunion?" Jane echoed exaggerating his interest in the subject.

"Yeah, like a high school reunion…" The villain's pitch deepened, his voice roughly scraped against his throat, "Hopefully it won't turn out the same way.."Jane flinched away from the words that bit at the weighted air. His darkened mind faded through his last investigation with the criminal, the mournful stories he had pieced together, the pain and bitterness that glued each emotion to each broken thought.

He had stalked his college aged attackers through an alleyway. His mind by that time had twisted from caring to shattered absence. The young teenager had killed his previous identity in shameful agony, hating the feeble human he had been. He took on a new form, one he didn't class as human, something above humans, a life that made him ahead of the curb.

"You remember what happened at my last reunion don't you Patrick?" The man questioned, a leer curled the side of his scared mouth contrasting against the permanent smile that etched across his face.

"I killed them, I watched the _fear _in their _pathetic _faces, I drove a _blade _through their fragile skin."

"You've never spoken about them." Jane tensed looking up at the man.

"I think out bond has grown strong enough for me to open up, besides, you're not going anywhere in a hurry.." The villain gesture with the torch, pointing the light to the ropes that bound the consultant to the small wooden chair.

"I let their blood run from them.. Do you wanna know what I thought afterwards?" Patrick sent a fleeting glance to the man that towered above him, unwilling to the answer the enquiry.

"I didn't like it but I didn't _regret _it either..." The joker sighed through his sentence as if he wished for a remorseful emotion. "I suppose that's when I realised, I wasn't like any of them. I just didn't care."

"You were mourning." Patrick stated breaking the mans questioning eye contact.

"Grieving?" The criminal repeated blandly, humour bounced from his hushed tone. "I killed Jack Napier and took care of the people that helped me. To me it _sounds _**logical**.""It's a logical emotion if you cared for the deceased." The consultant replied, his penetrating blue eyes stabbed into the hazel irises that mildly looked through him.

"He was a good kid, a nice boy.. But he had his faults. He was _stupid_, _weak _and _**feeble**_. I know a pencil that has more _brains _than he _ever _did." A chuckle broke through the mans sentence, shattering the sadness that had echoed in his confused voice.

"Why do you think there's a bond between us?" Patrick grimaced as the man looked down at him before answering, he slowly knelt until their faces fell level, his deep eyes trapped the consultants. "Because we have a lot more in common than you give us credit for."

"What would that be?" Patrick replied frowning at the violence the criminal saw mirrored in him.

"I just told _you _your own _story_."

"I don't have a story to tell." Jane excused weakly "My life isn't that exciting."

"You want Red John." The joker stated as their eye contact deepened. "Whenever you think of what happened your blood boils. You know you can't get them back but you want to see their attacker suffer."

"I'm not a murderer." Jane protested fighting to break the harsh eye contact he had been trapped with.

"Not yet. If you found who did that to them what would you do?" The criminal pointed the torch he grasped to the consultants bound colleagues. "Would you be professional and follow the procedure under Teresa Lisbon's guidance or would you do this on your own? A lone trooper out for revenge?""Lisbon knows what I'll do."

"What will you do Patrick?" The villain pursued his question. "Would you act as a lone _Tiger_?"

"You know Red John." Patrick's eyes strengthened fighting against the hazel irises that mocked him.

"_No_… I was just asking a simple question.. One that's gotten you a little hot under the collar.." The criminal leant closer to the bound consultant filling his lungs with the intoxicating odour that burnt his nose. Patrick flinched away from the man as his leather clad hands grabbed at his arm.

"Relax…" The joker hissed, reassuring the man, he placed the small torch on the floor. A metallic blade flashed in the dim light as the villain sliced away the rope that bound his captive.

"Seeming as you know our conditions.. I don't think you'll try anything _stupid_…"

"What are you gonna do when Gordon gets him here?" Patrick rubbed the flesh of his wrists, grateful for ability to move from the chair he has been tied to. The consultant stood, stretching in the darkness, his scarcely illuminated features studied the man who absently threw the shredded rope into the darkness.

"You know who I want?" The joker turned to Patrick quizzically, "_I_ don't even _know _what _I _want.""You want fear." Jane repeated moving his palms to massage his aching neck, his statement echoed back to him from memories of the last time he spoke to the villain.

"Fear and justice." The criminal nodded, exaggeratingly gesturing to the empty distance "I've got a couple things to settle."

"Are you going to kill him?" Patrick frowned listening to his own footfalls that echoed in the noiseless air.

"He knows I'll never kill him… He's too much _fun_…" The criminal paused, "As are you.. I think when Gordon's done with this he'll lock us all up and throw away the key…"

"What do you mean when Gordon's done?" Jane quizzically glared at the man.

"Like I said, I don't even know what I want…" Joker sighed. "I'm no fortune teller."


End file.
